Request For Proposals For VILLAGE SOLICITOR

Village of Bremen, Ohiowww.BremenVillage.comRequest for Proposals forVILLAGE SOLICITORDecember 2015Page 1 of 6

Request for ProposalsContract for Municipal SolicitorThe Village of Bremen is requesting proposals/qualifications from a State of Ohio licensedattorney to perform the duties of Village Solicitor. Individuals responding to this Request forProposals should have extensive experience, a knowledgeable background and qualifications inthe provision of the services described herein.Background:Bremen is a village in eastern FairfieldCounty, Ohio. The population was1,425, constituting 506 households, atthe 2010 Census. The village has atotal area of approximately 0.86 squaremiles. Bremen is surrounded byRushcreek Township.Elected officials include the mayor, sixcouncil members and a clerk-treasurer.An appointed village administratoroversees the daily operations.Police coverage is provided through acontract with the Fairfield CountySheriff. Fire protection is provided bythe Bremen-Rushcreek Fire Department.The Village operates a water plant anddistribution system, a wastewatertreatment plant, and has a maintenancedepartment that takes care of thestreets, lands and buildings. Inaddition, the Village of Bremen suppliesthe Village of Rushville’s water. Utilitybilling is also performed by Bremen.BREMEN, OHIOThe Village currently has six full-time permanent employees, and typically hires around twelveseasonal workers to staff the community swimming pool in the summer.The municipal building is located at 9090 Marietta Road SE, Bremen, Ohio 43107, whichcontains the council chamber, offices of the village administrator and clerk-treasurer, plus thestreet department garage.Page 2 of 6

Scope of Services:Ohio Revised Code Title (7) VII Municipal Governments705.11 Village solicitor or city director of law - duties.“The village solicitor or city director of law shall act as the legal advisor to and attorney for themunicipal corporation, and for all officers of the municipal corporation in matters relating to theirofficial duties. The solicitor shall prepare all contracts, bonds, and other instruments in writing inwhich the municipal corporation is concerned, and shall indorse on each his approval of theform and the correctness thereof. No contract with the municipal corporation shall take effectuntil the approval of the village solicitor or city director of law is indorsed thereon. He or hisassistants shall be the prosecutor in any police or municipal court, and shall perform such otherduties and have such assistants and clerks as are required or provided.”In addition to the general duties outlined in R.C. 705.11, the Solicitor will provide the followingtasks among others:1. When requested by Village Council, on an as-needed basis, attend council meetings,special council meetings and committee meetings. Regular Council meetings arecurrently held on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.2. Provide guidance and legal advice to the Village of Bremen Mayor, Council, Boards,Commissions and Committees.3. Represent the Village of Bremen in all judicial and administrative proceedings in which itor any of its officers or agencies may be a party or have an interest.4. When requested, draft or approve as to form and sufficiency legal documents, contracts,deeds, ordinances and resolutions made, executed or adopted by or on behalf of theVillage of Bremen.5. With approval from Village Council, represent in any and all litigation, conduct appealsfrom orders, decisions or judgments affecting any interest of the Village of Bremen as theSolicitor may, in his/her discretion, determine to be necessary or desirable or as directedby Village Council.6. Subject to the approval of Village Council, have power to enter into any agreement,compromise or settlement of any litigation in which the Village of Bremen is involved.7. Subject to the approval of Village Council, have power to enter into contract negotiationson behalf of the Village of Bremen.8. Render opinions orally and/or in writing, as the need requires, upon any question of lawsubmitted to the Solicitor by Village Council or any member thereof with respect to theirofficial powers and duties and perform such duties as may be necessary to provide legalcounsel to Village Council in the administration of municipal affairs.9. Supervise and direct the work of such additional attorneys and technical and professionalassistants as Village Council may authorize for special or regular employment in or forthe Village of Bremen.In accordance with R.C. 733.48, the term of this contract is not to exceed two years.Page 3 of 6

Minimum Requirements:1. Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio for a period of not less than ten (10)years, and eligible to appear before all state and federal courts in Ohio, as well asOhio administrative agencies and the Office of Administrative Law.2. Minimum of five (5) years of experience in the general representation of municipalgovernments or municipal authorities.3. High degree of demonstrated knowledge, experience and ability with the following:a) The operations of local governmental units in Ohio.b) General litigation and representation of the Village in litigation.c) Acquisition of real estate.d) Assisting with acquiring and administering grants.e) Municipal Land Use Law.f) Extensive knowledge of Local Public Contracts Law.g) Selling of Village real estate and/or property.h) Creation of Employment Practices Liability policies to protect the village.i) Experience in a village form of government.4. Sufficient support staff available to provide all general legal services required by theVillage of Bremen including, but not limited to, legal research, preparation ofresolutions, preparation of ordinances, preparation of contracts and other legaldocuments.5. Maintain a bona fide principal office in the State of Ohio.Content of Proposals:All proposals shall contain the following information:In addition to demonstrating an ability to meet all minimum qualifications above, the firmmust also include and address the following:1. Provide the name and address of the firm; the name, telephone number, fax number,and email address of the individual responsible for the preparation of the proposal.2. Provide résumés of the designated person that will be responsible for all servicesrequired in this proposal and of any associates in the firm that will be expected todeliver legal services to the Village.3. Include an executive summary of not more than two pages, identifying andsubstantiating why the individual or firm qualifies to provide the requested services.Describe any other factors the proposing party believes is relevant to its ability toprovide the Village with superior service. Include a summary of municipal legalexperience with position held and length of service.4. List current municipal or government clients represented. Include a contact name,position and phone number.5. If you or any principal therein has been subject to any professional disciplinary actionover the last three years, you must provide a description of the litigation and/ordisciplinary action.6. Identify any existing or potential conflicts of interest, and disclose any representationof parties or other relationships that might be considered a conflict of interest withregard to this agreement with the village.Page 4 of 6

7. Provide a proposal for compensation or a schedule of fees to be charged forprofessional services. If the respondent proposes to provide services for a flat fee ora fixed retainer, the proposal shall specify which services are not included. Theproposal shall also specify the fee that will be charged for such additional servicesand the basis for the compensation. The Village’s current solicitor is compensated at an hourly rate.The Village is seeking to obtain the provision of top-notch legal services atcompetitive rates and is open to alternative fee arrangements for the purposeof reducing its expenditures for professional services.Submittal Deadline:Sealed proposals must be received by Noon on December 11, 2015. They may be mailed orhand-delivered to the following address. Proposals received after this time will not beconsidered. All proposals will become the property of The Village of Bremen and will not bereturned.Village of BremenAttention: Jeffrey WhiteP.O. Box 1279090 Marietta Road, SEBremen, Ohio 43107Please direct all inquiries to Jeffrey White at (740) 569-4788 or emailAdministrator@BremenVillage.com.Award & Contract:Proposals may be opened by the Village at any time after the submission deadline. Allproposals satisfying the requirements of this Request for Proposals will be evaluated todetermine which proposal best fulfills the needs of the Village. The Village anticipates enteringinto a contract to fulfill the professional services needed. This Request for Proposals, however,does not commit the Village to award a contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation ofa proposal, or to contract for the goods and/or services offered. The Village reserves the rightto accept or reject any and all proposals received as a result of this request, to negotiate with allqualified attorneys or to cancel this Request for Proposals, if it is in the best interest of theVillage of Bremen to do so.After the selection of an attorney, the schedule should include a period of collaboration betweenthe Village of Bremen and the attorney to better define, elaborate upon and finalize theattorney’s exact and Final Scope of Work. While the attorney should assume work beginsimmediately upon notification that they have been selected, the Final Scope will be defined byPage 5 of 6

editing, redlining or adding superseding documents or drawings to the Proposed Scope ofWork.Individuals/Firms selected to provide a professional service will be required to supply, at thetime of contract execution,a) A Certificate of Insurance issued by an insurance carrier authorized to dobusiness in the State of Ohio, reflecting the amount of professional liabilityinsurance in effect during the contract period.b) A Certificate of Insurance evidencing Worker’s Compensation coverage in theState of Ohio.Page 6 of 6

705.11 Village solicitor or city director of law - duties. “The village solicitor or city director of law shall act as the legal advisor to and attorney for the municipal corporation, and for all officers of the municipal corporation in matters relating to their official duties.